Yahaya Bello’s wife wanted by EFCC in Aso Villa with Aisha Buhari, Tinubu’s wife

Patrick OdeyMarch 9, 2023

1 minute read

Rashida Bello in a group photo with Aisha Buhari and Remi Tinubu (Credit: Rashida Bello’s Facebook page)

The wife of Kogi governor, Rashida Bello, said to be at large over an N3 billion fraud, has reappeared in the Presidential Villa, meeting with first lady Aisha Buhari and the wife of the president-elect, Remi Tinubu.

On February 13, the EFCC sued Mrs. Bello and others at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court over money laundering and misappropriation of about N3 billion.

Mrs. Bello announced her presence at a meeting with Mmes Buhari and Tinubu at the Villa on Monday, a few weeks after the anti-graft agency declared her wanted.

“Few days ago at the Presidential Villa where the wife of the president-elect, (the) wife of the vice-president-elect, myself and other governor’s wives, as well as APC stakeholders and members, paid a courtesy visit to the mother of the nation, Dr (Mrs) Aisha Buhari,” Mrs. Bello said in a Facebook post on Monday, sharing photos of herself in the company of the women.

EFCC’s spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said that “the matter is in court” when asked on Thursday about the anti-graft agency’s claim that Mrs. Bello is at large.

Last February, the anti-corruption commission arraigned the Kogi first lady (in absentia) and four others for money laundering and criminal misappropriation.

“That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adaudu, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, Rashida Bello (at large) sometime in June 2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured E- Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18(a), 15(20)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act,” said count one of the charges.

They are facing an 18-count charge.